


Crouching Otter, Hidden Tiger.

by BarkingBard



Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017), Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF, Call Me By Your Name - All Media Types
Genre: Best Friends, Black Lives Matter march, Call Me By Your Name (2017) Filming Location | Crema Italy, Love at First Sight, M/M, Temper Tantrums, Text Messages, pasta sauce
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:02:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28568181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarkingBard/pseuds/BarkingBard
Summary: Not everyone could be the leading man in the story, so as Nick Delli Santi friends shone, he was content to stand in the shadows with the knowledge that he was the guy who got them there. That was until he was transfixed by the beautiful man with alabaster skin, who shone like an exquisite insect caught in amber. His relationship with his best friend Armie Hammer would never be the same.Please note: This is fiction, I do not know these people or the reality of their lives.
Relationships: Timothée Chalamet/Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet/Nick Delli Santi, Timothée Chalamet/Nick Delli Santi/Armie Hammer
Comments: 34
Kudos: 32





	1. Wonder in amber

Nick laughed heartily at the endless stream of ludicrous statements coming out of Armie’s mouth. The two men leant against the bar in the small, dark restaurant in the tiny city of Crema where Armie was filming. The wooden surfaces gleamed and the warm atmosphere lightened Nick’s heart. He felt at home in Italy and sharing it with his best friend made it feel even more welcoming.

Armie had gotten into his ear months before, trying to convince Nick that his ‘favorite family’, Armie, Elizabeth, and Harper, needed him to come and help them out in Italy, while Armie focused on being a movie star. After talking it through with Elizabeth, Nick had acquiesced to join them. The real power couple in their relationship was actually Nick and Elizabeth, who wrangled what seemed like two small children, Harper and the overgrown toddler, Armie, who was the worst behaved of the two.

Someone caught Nick’s eye over the shoulder of his taller friend and as he focused on the man entering the restaurant from the darkness outside, his mouth hung open a little, as time slowed down to the speed of the specks of dust suspended in the pools of light in the room.

He was transfixed by the beautiful man’s movements and his alabaster skin, which shone in the downlights illuminating the foyer space. He was like an exquisite insect caught in amber. His long, slender fingers clasped his baseball cap as he removed it, releasing a mass of auburn curls. Their eyes met across the room and an electric jolt ran through Nick’s body as he was washed by a feeling of recognition.

The ever-ready Nikkiwonder had done his due diligence and researched the cast and crew of the movie. He had read as much as he could about the ‘up-and-coming’ star, but nothing could have prepared him for the reality of the startlingly handsome man who was walking towards them.

Armie waved his hand in front of Nick’s face in an attempt to bring him back to his conversation. Armie turned to see what had had this effect on Nick, and when his eyes fell upon Timmy’s visage his own features softened as he took him in as well.

“Aha, Timmeee meet Nikki”, Armie slurred out, “Nikkiwonder this is my co-star Timothée. We love him and you must too. Promise me that you will love him!”

“Oh shit,” was all that Nick could reply.

He could tell a mile off when Armie had a crush on someone, but this ‘inconvenience’ was now multiplied by his own desire to take this beguiling man in his arms. They were both fucked!

***

[](https://ibb.co/4Jpk3Ph)  


Let’s make this clear, Nick Delli Santi is a good guy, a loyal and dedicated friend and the person you go to when you want to get things done. He has always been the perfect sidekick and is happy to play the supporting role to everyone else in his life. Not everyone could be the leading man in the story, so as his friends shone, he was content to stand in the shadows with the knowledge that he was the guy who got them there.

Case in point, Armand Douglas Hammer. From the first day that the frumpy, sandy blonde island boy walked into Nick’s high school, Nick’s life trajectory was set. They became inseparable friends, confidants, co-conspirators, and alibis for each other.

Nick was Armie’s go-to guy when there were problems to be sorted and there were plenty. The consequences of Armie’s impulsive nature and his all-too-frequent thoughtless decisions would be smoothed over or covered up by his more considerate best friend. They made a great team.

Armie’s wing man was clever and resourceful and as long as Nick remained in Armie’s shadow, he could avoid the uncomfortable reality of his own bisexual desires, which were at odds with his restrictive, stifling and completely claustrophobic home life. His best friend was happy to share his home, his strong arms, when needed, or an affectionate hand-job to ease them through the stressful teen years.

If Armie led a girl on, then promptly discarded her, Nick was there to offer a shoulder for her to cry on, thereby protecting Armie’s good name. If, while stoned at a party, Armie had let the captain of the football team give him a blow job and almost instantly begun to regret it, Nick would be the one to go in, explain the situation, and smooth over all potential issues.

As they grew (Armie a lot more than most) Nick became ‘Nikiwonder’, the fixer. Nothing was too much trouble for him to resolve and he was universally loved. He became the favorite of their parents, not to mention beyond proficient, if not expert, at signing parents’ signatures and plain-faced lying to authority figures.

When Armie had bailed out of high school to follow his dream of being an actor, Nick was left behind to smooth over the ripples and negotiate on behalf of Armie with his incensed parents, eventually reconciling them with their wayward eldest son.

Armie’s decisions took a massive toll on Nick’s academic outcomes and his results were well below his actual abilities. Nick spent much of the time that should have been used for study handling his pal’s regular misdemeanors and misadventures. It was simple, Nick loved him and there was nothing he wouldn’t sacrifice for his Armie.

It took eighteen months, including hours of reconciliation telephone calls and several frosty face-to-face meetings, to finally see a list of conditions drafted and expectations for further studies declared. Thanks to Nick’s persistence, all parties were finally satisfied and Armie was relieved of the challenge of trying to support himself through clandestine drug deals. Now, with his family’s financial support, he could focus on his acting career.

If Armie produced ‘an heir and a spare’ in wedlock, his end of the bargain would be met. The family were resting their hope on the next generation to fulfill their corporate ambitions and this freed up Armie to follow his own pursuits, which he took to with gusto.

Soon enough Armie had decided he was in love with Elizabeth. In good conscience Nick felt he needed to ensure that Elizabeth understood what she was entering into before she gave her hand to his friend. After a lengthy discussion Nick was satisfied that the smart and beautiful, future Mrs. Hammer was completely aware and totally onboard with shaping and honing her ‘rough and ready’ husband-to-be and it appeared that she adored Armie as much as Nick did. Nick could see the happy years ahead and he would be at Armie’s side to ensure his continued success.

Life went back to relative normality for a reasonable time and Nick could finally focus on his own career and begin to study for his real estate license.

As Armie’s career took off, his time at home with his wife and young daughter became much more limited and intermittent, so Nick stepped into the role of surrogate father and prime dog walker, providing much needed support regarding the running of the household. By the end of the first year of co-parenting, everyone who knew him had taken to calling him his high school nickname of ‘Nikkiwonder’ because that is what he truly was.

***

The three men sat eating their meal in lively banter accompanied by numerous outbursts of laughter. Bottle after bottle of wine flowed through their glasses. Casually, Armie had wrapped his arm around Timothée’s shoulders and leisurely caressed the tender white skin of his neck. It was a subtle declaration of ownership and Nick could picture his friend peppering the same expanse of flesh with kisses, causing him to envy Armie. The knot that had been building since the moment that he first saw Timothée tightened in his stomach.

Such pangs of jealousy were foreign to Nick. He had never coveted any of Armie’s adoring fans or devoted friends. Even more annoying was the fact that he was having difficulty following the conversation, being distracted by Timothée’s every move.

Was it possible that Timothée could be so captivating or was Nick simply over-tired? The way he held his fork caused the candlelight to reflect in his bright green eyes, resulting in a shimmering effect that was spellbinding. Adding to the overall impression, Timmy spoke Italian to the waiter with a heavy French accent, leaving Nick breathless. He imagined him whispering dirty things in his ears in French and instantly became impossibly hard. He needed to put the brakes on these feelings. Timmy was Armie’s playmate and he wouldn’t intervene in this tryst.

When Timothée went off to the men’s room Armie leant in and spoke quietly but sternly in Nick’s ear, berating him for being distant and rude to Timmy. Nick apologized and said that he was simply suffering from exhaustion due to his jetlag and Hops’s insomnia, which often kept him up at night, but Armie knew his best friend too well. He recognized this bogus excuse for what it was and demanded the truth.

Nick knew that it would be fruitless to attempt to fool Armie. “He is just too beautiful”, Nick declared finally, “I can’t focus when he looks at me. I know I look like an idiot but I find his lips quite mesmerizing…”

Armie cut him off with a large pair of hands covering his, “Oh, thank fuck! Is that all? I thought you hated him,” Armie said with a chuckle.

“He is gorgeous, isn’t he? I have spent days on the set rolling all over him, getting so fucking turned on that I wanted to fuck him then and there, not caring that there were twenty people in the room and a camera pointing at us.”

Armie let out a loud guffaw as Timmy sidled up to the table and began making excuses for going home, but Armie wouldn’t hear of it. He charmed them into staying and they continued drinking and talking until the restaurant closed and the waiter sent them out into the street. Armie walked along the now familiar route to their hotel with an arm around each of them. Nick could feel the sparks of excitement pulsing through Armie’s body and radiating out to his fingers. He drunkenly ran his hands over their torsos, trying to start something that Nick wasn’t sure he was ready for.

“Hey Nikki, tell me again why you have been acting so strangely all evening.”

The alcohol instantly froze in his bloodstream and Nick stopped dead in his tracks, halting their drunken progress. Armie’s body turned on the spot, swinging a drunken and oblivious Timmy around and causing a near-collision with Nick. Their faces were inches apart as Nick tried to say something coherent, but he was interrupted because Armie pushed Timmy even closer to him and he felt the wet warmth of Tim’s full lips moving over his.

“Timmeee, would you mind if I let Nikki fuck you tonight? No pressure… but I think it would be hot watching him drive his fat cock into you,” Armie said turning to gauge Timmy’s reaction.

Nick couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Armie was offering his lover to his best friend and he knew he could not and would not take him up on it. Nick’s ‘fight or flight’ response kicked in and he bolted away from this excruciatingly embarrassing situation.

Both Armie and Timmy called for him to return, but he needed to get away and clear his head. He had no idea where he was going other than away from the pair calling out his name.

As he ran down the street the feelings welled up in him and surprisingly took the form of tears streaming from his eyes and Nick suddenly realized that he felt much more for the dark and mysterious man than was reasonable after such a short time. His desires were too strong for some drunken one-off fuck that Armie might or might not permit to happen again if he was a good boy.

He had just met this lovely man, but he already knew that he wouldn’t be able to settle for only a portion of him. He wanted him, body and mind, and he wanted to wake up every morning with his body entwined with his. How fucking dare Armie use him so flippantly for his own jollies. Nick was offended for Timothée and appalled that his best friend could offer him up in such a cavalier and callous manner.

Standing there with the tears rolling down his face, Nick screamed at the empty streets around him, “Fuck you, Armie Hammer!”


	2. Marching on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As time marches on Nick's friendship with Timothée grows and he can't hide his feelings much longer.

It had been a long, busy day. Over the last few nights Nick and Armie had taken turns rocking Ford to sleep because he was restless and until he succumbed to exhaustion Elizabeth had kept Hops entertained. The old adage about the village raising a child was true in the Hammer household. They were a great team, but Elizabeth and Armie were going to be out tonight at a fundraising gala until all hours, so Nick was at the helm. Ford’s nocturnal pattern persisted, and he had taken a long time settling and Hops was in that ‘asking questions about everything’ phase, which wore Nick out. “What’s that?” “Why?” “When?’ He definitely needed a brew.

[ ](https://ibb.co/LrXSGDM)

[ ](https://ibb.co/LrXSGDM)

When Timmy learned that he would be in LA filming with Felix van Groeningen he had agreed to stay with the Hammers at Armie’s request, but the two men were not as they had been in Italy and a tension was building that no one in the house could ignore. Although they didn’t know it then, this would be one of their last opportunities to spend so much time together. But for now, Timothée, who was a recent addition to the family, provided a much needed respite as well as a vexatious distraction which Nick reveled in and reviled himself over in equal measure.

Nick finally collapsed on the sofa, picked up the remote and sighed heavily. As soon as the TV emitted its first sound Archie jumped up next to him and Nick reflexively scratched behind the pup’s ear. As he sipped his beer and fantasized about the prospect of having some quality time with Tim, he heard the front door softly open and close and his stomach fluttered. Nick began to whisper a mantra to the kids, “Please stay asleep, please stay asleep”.

It had only been a few weeks since Timothée had taken up residence, but every moment that Nick spent with the man was precious, like a salve to his tortured soul. He knew that Tim was only in town for a short while, so he had to make the best of his time there. He would torture himself for not acting on his ‘obvious to him’ unrequited desires for the other man, but he knew he would never have the balls to declare his feelings, so he tried to focus on what he could manage, the Hammer household. He also felt that the situation was pointless when he considered that Armie had got there first and he wasn’t about to encroach on his best friend’s territory, even if it seemed to be coming to its own natural conclusion. Armie and Timmy made sense, Nick and Timmy did not. It was as simple as that.

Timothée Chalamet, no matter how sweet and charming and funny and beautiful and clever and affectionate and cuddly, was out of his league. Nick was fucked either way, but he would not risk his friendship with either man over his stupid infatuation.

“What ya watching?” Timmy asked from the doorway.

“Utter rubbish. More interesting, how did your day go?” Nick enquired.

“Exhausting and slow and I fucked up so much it was excruciating for everyone,” Timothée complained.

“You are being too hard on yourself. Have you eaten?” Nick enquired.

“I am too tired to eat. I’m gonna go to bed,” Tim replied flatly.

“You are getting way too thin. You need to eat. I saved some pasta with a delicious beef ragu. Just sit and relax. It will only take a second to reheat. I’ll be right back,” Nick declared as his shot off the sofa and towards the kitchen.

Timothée ignored Nick’s words and casually followed him into the kitchen to continue chatting about their respective days. He asked after Ford and Harper and Nick filled him in on his busy day with the Hammer family.

After the microwave oven dinged and Nick grabbed the bowl they returned to the lounge room and sat side by side. Nick waited for Timmy to eat, but he rubbed his eyes, “I am too tired to eat. I’m sorry Nick, I just can’t,” Timothée looked at him through his sleepy eyes and sighed.

Taking his fork, Nick filled it with pasta and sauce, lifting it up towards Tim’s mouth.

“Open wide… like a big boy,” Nick said like he was talking to one of the children.

“I am not a child, Nikki, you don’t need to baby me,” Timmy impatiently replied.

“You just need a little help to get started. I promise, once you get a taste of this yummy sauce you won’t want to stop,” Nick encouraged.

Timmy obligingly opened his mouth, took a bite and as his taste buds were awakened he mumbled through a mouthful of pasta, “Holy shit. This is really good!”

Nick beamed with pride, “Thank Nonna Eleonora. It’s a Delli Santi family recipe”.

He loved watching Timmy eat. As with everything he did, he ate with gusto and purpose and Nick almost instantly regretted thinking about Timmy’s mouth, now all ringed with the sauce. He let himself imagine how it would feel to lick it off and his body jolted with arousal.

Looking towards the TV helped him focus and steady his breathing. Timmy set the now-empty bowl on the table and rested his head on Nicks shoulder, causing Nick’s breath to catch in his chest and he shuddered.

“Nick, are you ok?” Timmy asked tentatively.

“Sure,” Nick replied with a rasp as his throat went dry. He continued to stare at the TV, but his mind was elsewhere.

“You’re always so kind to me, Nikki, but sometimes you won’t even look at me and it makes me feel like you don’t like me at all,” Timothée blurted out.

Nick’s breath faltered as he tried to look at Timmy’s face. He had to be joking; if only he knew how much he adored Timmy.

“You have no idea how hard it is for me not to stare at you and never stop. I could never hate you Timmy. I worship you,” Nick confessed with a gush of embarrassment.

Timothée turned to him and covered his lips with light, hungry kisses. Nick was mesmerized by the sauce-stained lips and pressed deeply into the kiss. His hand instinctively carded through Timmy’s long curls and he slowly let go of all sense of himself. They were one person with two beating hearts and two pulsing cocks grinding against each other in a rhythm that only they knew through instinct and desire. Nick heard a distant growl and then realized it had come from his throat.

He began to unwrap Timothée like the gift that he was and alternated between long, thirsty stares and close, gentle kisses and nipping bites which bloomed pink on Timmy’s pale skin. All the blood in Nick’s body rushed towards one destination and he knew that he couldn’t stop this now, so he turned off his critical mind and let his passion for Timmy take over his body.

***

Ashton rested his coffee cup on the table in front of him and ran his hands through his hair. “I cannot believe you. You have been whining for months about him and now that he is in LA, you haven’t even tried to contact him,” Ashton exclaimed in frustration.

He continued, “Armie is in Grand Cayman for the foreseeable future and he can’t continue to ‘call dibs’ on a man he hasn’t seen for months or been with for over a year. I know he was furious when he caught you two fucking on his sofa, but he is the married one here. You and Timmy did nothing wrong. He is being a total hypocrite to ban you from seeing him again. I know you want to keep the peace but at what cost, Nick?” Ashton exclaimed.

Nick tried to excuse Armie’s behavior, “He did have a point about it being under his roof.”

Ashton rolled his eyes and huffed in frustration. “Oh, screw that! You are two grown men who like each other. Armie can’t claim everyone because he met them first.”

“Ash, it doesn’t matter. My friendship with Armie is more important than any other in my life.”

“You have followed on his heels for years like a second puppy. Archie doesn’t need a brother…”

Nick was too annoyed to answer. He was sulking because he knew that Ash was right. Why did caring for Armie and caring for Tim have to be mutually exclusive? For the first time in his life, he was at a total loss.

Ashton pulled out his phone and, before Nick could stop him, he dialed.

“Hey Tim, how’s it going? I have Nikki here with me and he’s asking what you’ve been up to, so I thought he should go straight to the source,” Ashton said into his phone and immediately handed it to Nick.

Ashton glared at him, and whispered, “Talk to him you idiot!”

***

Nick looked at himself in the mirror, his view slightly blurred by steam and his body still gleaming with droplets of water like diamonds on his tanned skin. He studied his form with a critical eye. His stomach was in knots over the prospect of seeing Timothée again. He had trimmed his chest hair a little. _Timmy would like that better… right?_ He turned a little and flexed. _He looked good enough… right?_ He ran his hands through his hair. It was shorter than he usually wore it. _It looked cool, sexy… right?_ He turned away from the mirror. He couldn’t compete with Timmy’s beauty, so he had to stop obsessing about it. His mind wandered and he thought of Timothée’s long, slender neck and how his silky soft skin felt under his fingertips all that time ago. He ached to bury his face in the crook of that neck again, but would he get the chance?

***

When Nick walked into Timmy’s hotel lobby he was greeted by Timmy’s beaming face and the sour-looking face of his publicist. He was irked that they were being chaperoned by Evelyn, but he decided to make the best of their situation since he knew that it was out of his control.

Timothée had insisted on joining the march in support of the Black Lives Matter protests, but they didn’t know what to expect as reactions had run the gamut from one city to the next. They drove to their destination, but parked well away from the meeting point. As they approached on foot, joining the streams of protestors flowing into the increasingly crowded streets, they marveled at the wit of the many homemade signs and their spirits were lifted by the friendliness of the crowd. However, despite the peaceful atmosphere, Nick’s nervousness mounted as he scanned faces for possible threats to his Timmy. He longed to hold Tim’s hand, but this was neither the time nor the place. He was just happy to be with him while he used his celebrity status for good.

After Timothée met up with a couple more friends, Nick gave him some space, but stayed within reach in the event that the situation got out of hand. His protective instincts were primed and in hair trigger mode, his eyes focused on his friend at all times.

Despite his safety concerns, it was a joy for Nick to watch Timmy as he became animated and energized amongst the comradery of the crowd, joining in the chorus of various chants. By the time they wound their way to the Santa Monica pier, the protestors, now in the thousands, were confronted by a blockade of county police, many armed with batons and guns. The peaceful protest stopped before the barrier and the throng began to chant for the police to join them in kneeling in solidarity.

About 45 minutes before 4 PM, which was the time set for Santa Monica’s curfew, the police began to declare over loudspeakers that the protest was unlawful. Nick’s mood shifted with the crowd’s unease at being penned in and challenged by police. The standoff was not going to work out in the protestors’ favor, so with increasing concern Nick approached Evelyn.

“I think we need to take Timmy back to the hotel before this escalates. He has done enough and it’s not going to benefit anyone if he is hurt or arrested,” Nick encouraged.

Nick could see the concern in Evelyn’s eyes as she nodded in agreement. Both attempted to convince Timothée to leave, but he was caught up in the moment and had no intention of leaving. Nick took his hands in his and made Tim look into his eyes. “I have a feeling this is going to get ugly very quickly. We need to make a move. Come on, we can get some food,” Nick implored him, thinking food might sway him to comply, as it always did with Armie.

Timothée was high on adrenaline, but he craned his neck to see what the people around him were doing and his eyes softened when they landed back on Nick. “If you think it best,” Timothée replied meekly. Nick took Tim’s hand and led him away from the masses of people, but while Nick proceeded without looking back, Timmy turned periodically and joined in the chants.

Once they were away from the noise of the crowd Timmy bubbled with enthusiasm about the day’s event and his excitement at having been part of a life-changing event made Nick chuckle. Suddenly Timmy stopped in front of a closed-up shopfront and asked. “Are you laughing at me?” and shoved Nick, who had a huge smirk on his face, backwards.

Caught unawares, Nick stumbled and landed against the door frame. Timothée’s hands were on him in an instant, followed by his entire body, which he grinded against Nick’s. Timmy’s soft pink lips mushed against Nick’s and the force of the kiss drove his breath from him. Nick couldn’t help but respond; he folded Timothée in his arms and kissed him for all he was worth. The day’s excitement had left Nick tired but exhilarated, so he made no attempt to fight Tim’s passions.

Evelyn was behind them seconds later, “Timmy, this is not the place to do this.”

Reluctantly, Tim slowly released Nick and then took one of his hands and led him out of the doorway and down the street again.

“Come with me back to New York. We would have so much fun! I can show you all my favorite places. I’ll take you to Little Italy, but not to the tourist traps, the good places. You will feel right at home.” His eyes grew even bigger as he added, “You can meet my Mom and Dad”.

“I will follow you anywhere, but right now we need to get back to the car”, Nick replied.

***

_Text message to Nick’s phone_

**Armie >** Nikiwonder… What ya doing in New York? (delivered)

 **Armie >** Are you ignoring me? (delivered)

 **Armie >** Nick… I can see from your Insta you are in NYC. Send my regards to Timmy and by the way… FUCK YOU cocksucker! You are supposed to be MY Best Friend!! (delivered)

_Armie Hammer Instagram - Grand Cayman_

‘Any boat captains in Cayman who feel like a little trip to Miami, hit me up in the DM’s. Trying to get outta here and there are no flights available. Will work as a deck hand for ride and pay fuel.’

**Author's Note:**

> I am eternally grateful for to the wonderful 'TimIDinMyHeart', you can not believe how grateful I am to you for your assistance. Your insights and editing skills was invaluable. You are a rock!


End file.
